Barky
by The Queen of the Castle
Summary: Kate misses Rick and revieles a little secret. One-shot, Caskett, Kate is a little OOC


Barky

Every time they spoke on the phone, Castle heard how miserable she was. He was gone on a book tour for a month and Kate missed him terribly.

But, he was coming home in four days. Or so she thought.

Castle wanted to surprise her. He squeezed a few more meetings into his days, so he could be finished a few days earlier. Of course he didn't tell Kate about his plans, otherwise it wouldn't be a surprise anymore.

It was 11 pm and four days before his scheduled arrival, when he quietly walked through his loft's front door. _Or should I say ours?  
_He hastily put down his luggage next to the front door, got out of his jacket and shoes and walked towards their bedroom door.

What he saw when he entered their bedroom, instantly made him smile.  
Kate was lying on her side of the bed and looking over at his side from there. The expression on her face was so cute: her eyes where big and round and her lower lip was pushed forward, as if she was pouting.  
The thing that surprised him was the stuffed animal she tightly clung to. It was an about 15 inches long and 7 inches wide dog with black fur and big floppy ears. It looked thin, like it had been well used over many years.

"Should I be jealous?"

Kate's head snapped up and turned in his direction. "Castle!" She abandoned the dog, jumped up, ran into his arms and hugged him fiercely.  
"I missed you so much!" she said with her face buried in the crook of his neck.  
"Wait," she slightly pushed away from him "Aren't you supposed to come back in four days? What are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy…"  
"I moved around a few meetings, so I could surprise you. I heard how sad you were about me to being here, from the way you were at the phone. And I missed you, too, honey."

"That's not true." She replied.  
"What's not true, babe?"  
"That I was sad. Of course I missed you, but I wasn't sad." She said with an expression of her face, that clearly indicated, that she was lying.

"Really, is that why you already replaced me?" He smirked, pointing to the stuffed dog, which was still on the bed.  
"Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Castle. I'll put him away." She practically jumped out of his arms, grabbed the dog and was moving towards the bedroom closet, when Castle stepped into her path.  
"It's fine, Kate. You don't have to put him away if you don't want to. He is cute and I was joking before, you know."  
Kate was looking down into the face of her stuffed animal in her hands, when she answered "It's ok. You don't have to act nice about it. I'll put him away again and you will never have to see him again, I promise. Just forget you say him."  
"Babe, look at me." When she kept staring down, he placed two of his fingers under her chin and moved it up.

"First, why would I act nice? And second, why would I forget about something that's clearly important to you?"

"Because you will think I'm crazy for still having a stuffed animal!" Kate whispered under her breath.  
"You're not crazy. You're beautiful, smart, extraordinary and maybe a little sassy sometime, but definitely not crazy. So, why do _**you **_think that _**I **_think that you are crazy?" Castle objected while pressing her into him and carrying her onto their bed.

When they were seated face to face across from each other, Kate mumbled again, so quietly Castle had problems understanding "Josh did. He said I should stop acting so childish and grow up. He made me promise to put him away."

Castle took both of her hands into his. "Kate. Honey, I am kind of offended about what you said. Firstly, you do realize you are talking to me, don't you? I'm like the most childish adult on earth! So me thinking you're being childish is a bad thing would make me a hypocrite. Secondly, I love you and I would never make you promise to do something that you don't want to do."

Kate didn't reply and kept looking down onto the dog.

"Kate, did you hear what I was saying."

She nodded.

"And do you believe me?"

After a few hesitant seconds, she nodded again.

"Good. Now, what's his name?" Castle slowly took the dog out of her arms and into his. _Man, this thing is soft! _Castle thought to himself.

"Castle, meet Barky." Kate said with her normal voice again. She had lifted her head and was now softly smiling at Castle.  
"Barky?" Castle asked with a smirk on his face.  
"Oh come on, Castle. I was like 4 or something!"  
Giving Barky back to her, Castle questioned "How did you get him?"  
"My dad got it for me. I had to stay in the hospital for 2 days because of a small surgery. I was really scared, so my dad bought Barky and told me that he would protect me from anything. Afterwards I wasn't able to sleep without him."

After sharing a shower, Castle prepared the bed while Kate was still brushing her teeth. To show Kate, that he really didn't mind the dog, he put Barky on top of her pillow instead of placing him aside.

When Kate emerged from the bathroom and saw Barky on her pillow, she took him in her hands, walked towards her clothing-arm-chair and placed him on the seating area.  
As soon as Castle (who was momentarily distracted by his phone) realized what she was doing, he put his phone down and moved up on his elbows. "Kate? I told you, I don't mind."

"I know, babe, but I don't need him anymore."

"Are you sure?" Castle questioned, thinking she may just say that because she didn't believe him earlier.

"Yes, I'm very sure." Kate answered while moving under the covers next to him. "I love you, Rick"  
"I love you, too."

After a few minutes off cuddling, Castle spoke up again. "Can I ask you something?"  
"Sure, ask away."

"Why did you tell Josh about Barky and not me?" he mumbled under his breath, so quietly that Kate didn't understand.

"Sorry, babe. I only got "Josh" and "Barky". Can you say that again, please?"

"Why did you tell Josh about Barky and not me?" he said with a now clear voice, not meeting her eyes.

"Why are you asking?"

"I mean, do you not trust me enough? Was he more important to you than I am? I mean, I'm your fiancé and you didn't tell me something you told your ex." Castle started rambling.  
"Oh honey, no. I love you, so much. More than I ever loved someone. Ok? So listen closely," she hurried to explain, "I didn't tell Josh, he found out a few weeks before we broke up. And do you know why we broke up? He didn't like it that I wouldn't sleep next to him or when he was over. And do you know why I didn't? Because I was scared to show him Barky."

"But you said you don't need him anymore. I told you, I'm fine with him." Castle interrupted her.

"Let me finish, Castle." Kate demanded softly. "Rick, I have never actually slept while any of my boyfriends were around. I couldn't without revealing Barky because I always needed his comfort to be able to sleep. But then you came around. I used to hide Barky inside my bedroom closet during the day, in case someone showed up. I did so the day I came to see you, after the rooftop thing. And I stayed and actually slept in your arms, which was the first time ever that I slept in someone's arms, apart from my parents. And a few days after we got together, I was home packing for your place, when I opened the bedroom closet door and saw him sitting there, not having been used in a few nights. That was the moment I realized that you were my one. I could sleep in your arms. You comfort me so much, that I can actually sleep in your arms.  
And that's why I didn't tell you about Barky. Not because I don't trust or love you, but because I trust and love you so much." Tears has started filling both of their eyes.

"I love you too, Kate, so much."

He kissed her deeply and let his tongue explore her moth.  
After a few minutes he realized something and reluctantly pulled away.  
"Wait a sec. If you don't need him anymore, why did you get him out now?"

She shrugged her shoulders and answered with a soft smile. "I really missed you, Castle. I could sleep, so I got him out. It didn't work as well as before, though. Guess I got used to you and your cuddliness."

"I missed you, too." Castle responded with a huge grin on his face.

Kate started taking off her nightgown, revealing his favorite lingerie. "Care to show me how much?" she asked with a sexy smirk.


End file.
